1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to finger mountable dispensing cups and, more particularly, to a method for preparing disposable, filled and sealed, finger mountable, dispensing cups for use in dental practice.
2. Prior Art
In one packaging format, dental polishing paste adapted for use in dental practice has been supplied to the dental profession in disposable cups, sized for individual patient usage. In this format, the dental paste cup generally comprises a cylindrical container having an open mouth which is continuous with an outwardly disposed lateral flange. A closure in the form of a thin cover sheet overlies the mouth of the container and is secured to the upper surface of the lateral flange. The closure includes a laterally extending, pull-open tab to facilitate complete removal of the closure at the time of use and thereby permit unimpeded access to the dental paste in the container.
The aforesaid dental paste cup is adapted to be used with a sterilizable and reusable, metallic finger-mountable holder. In an illustrative prior art embodiment, the holder, which is constructed from thin sheet metal, generally comprises a cylindrical member that is continuous with an upwardly, outwardly, and downwardly extending, finger-mountable member having its terminus in substantial spaced relationship to the cylindrical member. The finger-mountable member, in this embodiment, has an inverted U-shaped or horseshoe-like configuration. In use, the body of the dental paste cup is passed through the cylindrical member so as to engage the top of this member with the underside of the cup's lateral flange. The U-shaped finger mount is then passed over the finger which provides a support for the holder-cup combination. Thereafter, the clinician removes the closure from the dental paste cup and dips the tip of a power actuated applicator into the cup to thereby obtain a suitable quantity of dental paste for use in polishing a patient's teeth. A significant problem associated with the repeated use of dental cup holders incorporating U-shaped finger grips is that such holders tend to slip and slide about the finger upon application of a dipping force to the contents of the dental cup.
Other packaging formats for dental material cups are illustrated by the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,391 (Malm, 1967) discloses a disposable, clear acetate, dental material cup containing dental medicaments or pumices and provided with a cellophane cover that may be heat sealed to the outwardly projecting rim of the cup. The bottom of the cup is provided with a downwardly disposed projection that is adapted to be slip-fitted or snap-connected to a supporting, split, finger ring made of more permanent material since the ring is not considered to be disposable with the cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,379 (Hardgrove, 1961) discloses a sterilizable, vertically disposed and pivotally connected, two-compartment, finger supportable dental tray for holding plastic filling materials, dental cleaning compounds and medications wherein the upper compartment forms a closure for the lower compartment and the lower compartment is provided with a lateral rim that has a finger-engagable ring like member extending therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,057 (Porteous, 1988) discloses a disposable dental paste cup having an open mouth defined by an outwardly disposed lateral rim, a removable closure overlies the open mouth and extends beyond the rim, and a finger mount extends in a ring-like manner from the rim and terminates in an open end that passes through an aperture in the finger mount into alignment with the outer extension of the closure. The application of a vertical squeezing force to the finger mount permits the open end segment to bear against the outer extension of the closure and thereby effect displacement of the closure from the mouth of the cup.